strike fear to the heart of the great Moncrossen with a
look of his eye? And, with three blows of his fist, lay the mighty
Stromberg upon the floor like a wet rag? Did he not come without hurt
through the fire when Creed locked him in the burning shack? And did he
not go down through the terrible Blood River rapids, riding upon a log,
and live, when Moncrossen ordered the breaking out of the jam that he
might be killed among the pounding logs? These are the things that kill
men--yet the _chechako_ lives."

"Gee, Eth, think of that!" exclaimed the boy, turning toward his
sister, who from her place by the side of her Aunt Margaret had been an
interested listener. "He must be _some man_! Where does he live? Will
we see him?"

Before the half-breed could reply Appleton broke in.

"He sure is _some man_!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "And you will
see him about day after to-morrow night, if we have good luck. I don't
know about all the adventures Blood River Jack mentioned, but I have
heard of some of them, and I can add the story of the outwitting of a
couple of card-sharps and a fight in the dark, in the cramped quarters
of an overturned railway coach, in which he all but choked the life out
of a human fiend who was robbing the dead and injured.

"And I might tell of another fight--the gamest fight of all--but, wait
till you know him. He is foreman of the camp which will be our
headquarters for the next two or three weeks."

"To hear them talk," said Mrs. Appleton to her niece, "one would
imagine this man a huge, bloodthirsty ruffian; but he isn't. Hubert
says that he is in every respect a gentleman."

"Yes," agreed her husband, "but one who is not afraid to get out and
work with his two hands--and work hard--and who has never learned the
meaning of fear. I took a chance on him, and he has made good."

The phrase fell upon the ears of the girl with a shock. They were the
words _he_ had used, she remembered. Was _he_ making good--somewhere?
She felt her heart go out with a rush to this big man she had never
seen, and she found herself eagerly looking forward to their meeting.

"Oh, he must be splendid!" she exclaimed impulsively, and her face
glowed in the play of the firelight--a glow that faded almost to pallor
at the words of the half-breed.

"He has come again into the woods?" he asked quickly. "It is well. For
now Jeanne need have no fear. He promised her that he would return
again into the North--and to h